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The Department of Health acknowledges the proposed action taken by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and reassures the Tasmanian community that they should continue to seek hospital-level care if they require it.
Acting Secretary of the Department of Health, Dale Webster, said Tasmanians should continue to present to Tasmanian hospitals, where our dedicated and committed staff will be there to provide them with the care they need.
“Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all nurses and midwives working in our health system. We value your skill and expertise, and dedication and commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of Tasmanians across the public health system,’’ Mr Webster said.
“We acknowledge the role of the ANMF in representing the interests of nurses and midwives across Tasmania and recognise that nurses and midwives are proud of the services they provide to people across Tasmania.
“In December 2023 we signed and registered a new industrial agreement with the ANMF, which contained many improvements for our nurses and midwives.
“We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively and in good faith with staff and the ANMF to address their concerns.
“Tasmanians should be reassured that services will continue to be provided at all our public hospitals statewide, and that planning is in place to mitigate any possible impact from the proposed action.
“We acknowledge concerns raised as part of the proposed action but assure the public that the Department continues to invest in nurses and midwives, with ongoing recruitment underway.
“Last financial year the number of nurses employed by the Department increased by more than 200 nurses. In the last three months 184 new nurses have been employed, a net increase of 29 nurses commencing in the health system since April 27, and we continue to actively recruit, including recent national and international campaigns.
“The Department recently ran an Expression of Interest for nurses and midwives to convert from a fixed term arrangement to a permanent arrangement, with around 30 nurses and midwives taking up this opportunity.”
Despite a nationwide baseline shortage of nurses and midwives, we are currently investing in an uplift in the Enrolled Nurse (EN) workforce and post graduate study options for Enrolled Nurses and expanding support for graduate and early career nurses and midwives through mentorship and clinical coaches.
As part of the Department’s ongoing recruitment drive aimed at attracting new recruits to the Tasmanian Health Service, we are providing a range of incentives to promote recruitment and retention, including:
- A competitive wages and conditions package including additional allowances.
- Guarantee of employment of all Tasmanian nursing and midwifery graduates.
- Relocation allowance of up to $15,000 for Nurses and Midwives who remain employed full-time for at least 3 years.
- A $10,000 scholarship for new Tasmanian graduate nurses that start and stay full-time for a period of three years or more.
- Expanding support for graduate and early career nurses and midwives through mentorship and clinical coaches.
- Scholarships for ongoing support of nursing and midwifery professional development and post graduate study.